Stories
Pakistani Aid Worker is Citizen of the World but Calls Oregon Home
When Amarah Khan arrived at the Houston airport from Pakistan as a fresh-faced 23-year-old student, immigration officials detained and questioned her for five hours, she says. “You can imagine what a rude awakening this was for me. This was my first time on a plane, and I thought I was… Read More
No Field Workers Means No Food — and No Food Security, Says Agriculture Exec
In 45 years in the agriculture business, Frank Gasperini, former CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), has seen the phenomenon time and again: U.S. farms scrapping crops because they don’t have enough workers for harvest. “When farmers realize their labor is going to be really late, they’ll… Read More
Immigrant STEM Students the ‘Lifeblood of American Research,’ Says University President
Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina (USC), says immigration reform is key to the future of the United States. The son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants — those hailing from the island of Cyprus —Pastides grew up in New York State and learned about citizenship from his immigrant parents,,… Read More
Innovative Pastor Helps Refugees Help the U.S. Economy
This year, former pastor Leah Lonsbury opened Just Bakery, an Atlanta nonprofit that provides job training, food service certification, and a living wage for resettled refugees. Lonsbury isn’t the first to turn to baking to make change. She used to live in Madison, Wisconsin, where a good friend runs… Read More
After Seven Generations, NC Farm Crippled by Migrant Labor Shortage
Kirby Johnson’s family has been farming in Henderson County, in southwest North Carolina, for seven generations. “All I’ve ever done is farm, and my daddy before me, and my grandfather before him,” he says. In addition to running his own 600-acre farm, Johnson helps manage another of… Read More
U.S. Lacks Computer Workers to Help Entrepreneur Expand U.S. Business
When Indian immigrant Sameer Penakalapati started Avani Technology Solutions in 2010, the Rochester-based business had two employees and revenues of $300,000. Since then, the company, which provides information technology services, has soared. It now has $50 million in annual revenue and 520 American employees in eight cities across the country. Read More
Head of Hispanic Leadership Council Makes Economic Case for Reform
Greg Torrales first moved to South Carolina in 2007 to work as a translator and help immigrants navigate the healthcare industry. Today he is the director of the South Carolina Hispanic Leadership Council (SCHLC), which provides social services for the state’s Hispanic residents. “Before I moved to South Carolina, I… Read More
Without a Reliable Supply of Migrant Workers, Landscaper Can’t Grow
In 2016, Faulkner’s Landscaping and Nursery, in Hooksett, New Hampshire, hit a record high: $2.1 million in revenues. In 2017, with even more commercial patios, greenery, and waterfalls to install, that number should have gone up. Instead, it plummeted by $500,000, thanks to a new government policy that prevented owner… Read More
Bangladeshi Uses an Overseas Education to Fight for Worker Rights in U.S.
Farook Hossain has a master’s degree in political science and was working as a medical clinic director in Bangladesh when he won a green card through the diversity lottery. He gave it all up to move to America, in 2001, and was soon working for $5 an hour at a… Read More
For Promising Immigrant Entrepreneurs, a Struggle to Stay in U.S.
Siva Raj was working as a product-development manager in Rochester, New York, in 2013 when he realized he had a problem. Although he exercised regularly, his health was poor. “My blood pressure was starting to rise, and my aerobic capacity was less fit than someone who was my grandfather’s age,”… Read More
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